1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a device for rapidly altering a temperature of an item in a refrigerator.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the art of refrigerated appliances, it is known to employ a device to rapidly alter a temperature of a selected food item. The device can be used to decrease ice production time, rapidly chill a beverage, thaw a frozen food item or perform other similar operations. In general, the device can be mounted over an icemaker in a freezer to decrease ice production time or positioned in a fresh food compartment for chilling beverages or thawing frozen foods. Some appliances include through-the-door quick-coolers that enable a consumer to quickly chill, for example, a beverage container without opening the appliance. Regardless of the particular configuration, the devices are large, bulky mechanisms that take up precious space in the appliance. In the highly competitive field of home appliances, storage space in a refrigerator is a major design consideration and, often, a key selling point.
Based on the above, despite the presence of various devices that bring about a rapid temperature change for items in a refrigerator, there still exists a need for a quick-cooling device for a refrigerator. More specifically, there exists a need for a quick-cooling device that is compact in size, easily re-positionable and, when positioned below a food item, causes a rapid change in temperature by disrupting a thermal insulation layer allowing faster temperature transfer.